Introducing Keurig KOLD: Home System Delivers Fresh-Made Beverages, Including Coca-Cola, With Push of a Button

Keurig Green Mountain, which has changed the way consumers enjoy coffee and tea over the last decade through its single-serve, pod-based home brewing systems, is turning its attention to chilled beverages this week with the launch of its Keurig® KOLD™ drinkmaking system.

The countertop appliance, developed through a global strategic partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, lets consumers produce a variety of sparkling and still beverages in about 90 seconds with a single push of a button. Keurig KOLD beverages are perfectly carbonated, chilled and dispensed in fresh 8-oz. servings at the ideal temperature – all without a CO2 canister.

“We believe Keurig KOLD has a place in many homes,” said Brian Kelley, president and CEO, Keurig Green Mountain. “Our research shows consumers want access to a variety of cold, fresh-made beverages at their fingertips, and this system delivers an on-demand playlist of both iconic brands and exclusive drinks you can only discover through our system.”

Keurig KOLD is now available to order on Keurig.com. In October, the appliance will be sold at select retailers online and in six cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York.

Keurig KOLD initially will feature a variety of beverage brands, including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite and Fanta. Within a few months, Coca-Cola Life, Gold Peak tea and vitaminwater XXX will join the roster, and more brands in multiple categories including sparkling, tea, energy, mixers, enhanced waters and sports drinks will be added in the future. Specific brands will be announced at a later date.

The platform will give Keurig a play in more beverage categories, day parts and consumption occasions. “KOLD extends our reach from the morning day part to an all-day, all-night appliance,” said Kelley, who noted that, the cold nonalcoholic beverage category is five times larger than the hot drink market, according to IRI.

While the average household only includes one coffee drinker, “everyone drinks cold beverages,” Kelley said. “Keurig KOLD broadens our appeal to more households with everything from iced teas and craft sodas, to sports drinks and cocktail mixers,” he added.

In February 2014, The Coca-Cola Company and Keurig signed an agreement to collaborate on the development and launch of Coke’s global brand portfolio for use in the Keurig KOLD system. As part of that deal, Coca-Cola acquired a 10 percent minority equity position in Keurig and subsequently boosted its stake to 16 percent, becoming the personal beverage system company’s largest shareowner.

“From the beginning, we knew we wanted to lean on each other’s core expertise,” Kelley said. “Ours is in the technology behind our machines and pods, and Coke’s is in understanding syrup, carbonation, the impact of packaging on taste and everything else that goes into the consistent production of great-tasting beverages.”

“By pairing our brand leadership and global footprint with Keurig’s cutting-edge technology and beverage system expertise, together we will capitalize on the growth opportunities we see in the single-serve, pod-based segment of the cold beverage business,” he said. “Keurig KOLD is a breakthrough innovation that will enable people to enjoy our brands in a convenient new way and capture incremental consumption occasions for our business. We look forward to being in the front seat with Keurig, learning with them and contributing to the potential.”